Answer: Ponce de Leon. If you’re not at all interested in things historical, perhaps not so easy.

If you picked up on Rocky Balboa as a choice, at least you’re paying attention; Sylvester Stallone would have appreciated that. On a more serious note: What was the explorer Balboa’s full name? Answer: Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

Whether searching for a Fountain of Youth or not, exploring was sometimes hazardous to one’s health. At the ages of 41 and 47, respectively, in the territories they explored Ferdinand Magellan and Ponce de Leon were killed by natives. Christopher Columbus contracted either gout or arthritis (through food poisoning) that eventually caused his death 14 years later at the age of 55.

How about a harder question? Does the Fountain of Youth exist? Yes. No.

How can that possibly be harder, you ask? Because whether you answered yes or no, you would be wrong. After finishing this article, you can decide if it was a trick question.

One final question: Is the whole idea of the Fountain of Youth absurd, including anyone who would search for it? Yes. No.

Historians agree that Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth was a myth, though he may have half-way believed Native Americans (in Florida) who said there were springs of water in the land of Bimini that restored one’s vitality. Only problem: Bimini was a fictional place. Thus, the obvious answer to the final question is: Yes.

Or is it?

(In St Augustine, Florida)

Whether the Fountain of Youth is real or not, borders on the irrelevant. Because billions on this planet have searched for “a” Fountain of Youth, in whatever form or substance they think it exists. It all depends upon what people imagine it is or want it to be; how a fountain of youth is perceived or defined. However, one thing is undeniably clear: people want to be “forever young.” Why anyone would want perpetual life on this earth filled with incessant evil and death and all the ills of humanity is beyond me.

The idea of such a fountain goes back a long way before Ponce de Leon. For example, Alexander the Great purportedly searched for a “Water of Life.” There are known locations of springs that (seem to … perhaps the placebo phenomenon) slow (the signs of) aging or restore vitality to the body inside and out; however, there is no known Fountain of Youth to prolong one’s life and certainly none that has ever preempted death.

All Must Die, But Do We Know (Accept) How and Why?

This past Tuesday (March 27th) marked the anniversary of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon’s first sighting of present-day Florida in 1513. Did he hope that he would discover the Fountain of Youth there? Or should such a wonder be called the Fountain of Life? Is there a difference?

Tomorrow (April 1—because Easter, fluctuating from year to year, has in the past sometimes fallen on the same day as de Leon’s sighting) is the anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, which is the greatest event in human history. One that truly gives those who believe in Christ hope of eternal life and one that guarantees the eternal life hoped for. To keep us forever young, because we will never again grow old again, once we are transfigured in the same fashion as Jesus Christ in his glorification preview on the Mount of Transfiguration. Then permanently (forever) upon his resurrection from the dead.

Eternal life is a no-strings-attached gift; the source of which only needs to be believed and received. We don’t need to literally or symbolically travel to the ends of the earth, or astrologically look to the planets and stars, or explore exotic, esoteric places to find it. Nor can everlasting life be earned through good works or self-merit.

The Problem: Billions on this earth don’t believe that anything, let alone their eternal destiny, can be as simple as Biblical salvation. And the reason for that is because mankind refuses to believe God himself and the redemptive truth found in His Word, the Bible. Just like our original parents, Adam and Eve, they refuse to concede that physical death would be (is) a direct result of disobedience to and sinning against God. Rather, death is “just a part of life.” Which it obviously is, but not why they think it is. Some go as far as to say that they don’t sin against God, or even sin at all. If they do anything wrong, it’s only against another human being; even then, it’s a “mistake in judgment.”

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth … If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts” (I John 1:8 & 10).

Even the most brilliant of scientists still don’t know why we age to the point of death. The general idea that our body (cells, organs, tissues) breaks down and wears out is only an explanation of the symptoms, not the original root cause of death. And that’s only for those who aren’t killed by others (war or murder), or take their own lives, or succumb to life-shortening diseases and catastrophic natural disasters, or even simple accidents.

All God asked of Adam and Eve was to trust him, which included only one command not to do something—imposed because the Lord gave them the freedom to choose to obey him or not.

However, death would not be an end to their existence (oblivion). Rather death is a separation of soul and spirit from the body, plus a separation of body, soul, and spirit from God for eternity. Unless and until God’s gracious (free) remedy is accepted by simple faith in the redemptive sacrifice of God’s Son … Messiah Jesus.

So many people are confused because they look to myriad sources of explanation other than the God who created them, and his revelation of truth as found in Scripture … especially concerning salvation and eternity. Accordingly, they consider life on this earth as all that really matters, presuming that they have no final say in their eternal existence. They attempt to control and cling to their life and treasures on earth as though it and they would last forever. Nothing really matters after death, they muse; it’s all over then.

Some believe in heaven, but not hell. Others believe in neither. They wonder if existence is eternal at all.

The following is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven (A Revisit) posted on 5-6-17. In italics:

…But the fact remains: Every person is eternal. Every soul will continue into and throughout eternity.

According to Scripture, every person was born (created) to live forever. That is what is meant when God breathed life into Adam (and Eve) and they became a “living soul.” (Genesis 2:7, KJV). Other translations read, “A living person” or “a living being.” Soul, person, being … all convey the idea of infinity, of time without end. That’s one reason we’ve conceived the expression human being. We don’t say that about animals, i.e. animal being. But a human is a being, made in the image of God. Part of that image is the eternity breathed into us by our Great God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.

Shakespeare’s statement of, “To be or not to be; that is the question,” is, indeed, a profound reflection. A living soul will always “be.” To be born is to be, and be, and be….

Those (and there are many) who subscribe to good deeds outweighing bad deeds as the formula to get to heaven never know for sure on what side of the scales God will find them. How could they, when the Bible clearly shows there is no such sliding scale that measures the relative weight of good and bad as a determination of where we will spend eternity. And when there is no other religion or philosophy that can tell them just how good they must be to merit whatever paradise they think awaits them.

Whereas some unbelievers might concede to the Biblical truth that physical death is a result of original sin, they stop short of acknowledging another vital Scriptural truth: That every person is born with a dead spirit (separated from God). That both physical and spiritual death is inherited from our original parents. Physical death takes varying lengths of time. But spiritual death begins at birth, because we are born with a sin nature. Which is why we must be “born again” (spiritually)

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:4-5, parenthesis in the text).

The Fountain of Youth Paradigm Presumption

To unbelievers, the concept of living forever is pretty much confined to life on this earth. Many people have said something to the effect, “Well, you can’t live forever.” Which, obviously reflects their priority of this life over the next one, at all costs. They refuse or are afraid to look past their time on earth. They do so despite the inescapable truth explicitly conveyed in Scripture and indelibly planted in the human heart … there is life after death. Death is only a change of address, not a cessation of existence. Life on this earth is merely a drop in the ocean of eternity.

Their concept of eternity is that it be lived on the earth in this earthly body … a Fountain of Youth mentality. Only the pleasures of this life experienced in this earthly body are worth considering and pursuing. As expressed, for example, with another saying (paraphrased) you’ve probably heard:

(Derived from the Song, “In Heaven There Is No Beer” … “that’s why we drink it here”)

Am I saying that all pleasures on earth are bad? To be avoided or suppressed at all costs? Of course not. God created such pleasures—to be appreciated as gifts from God and enjoyed in moderation, as we all know what excess can do. Such enjoyments as food, drink (including alcoholic beverages if so preferred), reading a good book next to a warm hearth in a cozy home, transportation, sex, recreation, and so on.

Speaking of excess, there is one story after another of famous people who had all these pleasures (and more), whose life ended empty. Not to mention the Biblical principle and age-old adage: “You can’t take it with you when you die.” Or those who ended their own life despite having a surplus of everything by which the world measures success and satisfaction.

(See Eye of Prophecy article, The Right to Life? Posted 8-16-14. Written soon after Robin Williams ever so sadly took his own life. His Fountain of Youth had apparently gone dry).

We’re talking here about a Biblical PERSPECTIVE on PRIORITIES. Putting it another way: God’s viewpoint contrasted to the world’s.

All these delights (and more) will be experienced one way or another in the new earth and heavens that God will recreate (Revelation 21:1-2), to a much higher and nobler degree … with exception of marriage and matrimonial intimacy (Matthew 22:30). For that matter, we certainly won’t miss the horrendous heartache and revolting repercussions caused by infidelity and divorce; nor will there be any battleof the sexes.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said: “For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come” (Luke 22:18).

Living Water

The Fountain of Youth? People live in denial as though there was such a source of perpetual existence. We grow old but wish we were still young, in body and mind. We know we’re going to die, yet preparations we make for death are limited to this life—financial, family, and such. Why is it that most people give little or no thought to “estate planning” for eternity? Because they believe they have no ultimate control over their eternal destiny, or because they mistakenly assume that a loving God (conveniently forgetting that he is also a Holy God), couldn’t possibly send anyone to hell forever.

The Bible clearly shows that we send ourselves, because hell is simply a place where God isn’t. It is a place reserved for all who deliberately reject God’s universal truth as found in the Bible. It is a place prepared for those who don’t want (not really) any part of God, certainly not on His terms. For those who see no need to accept the greatest sacrifice ever made by the highest price ever paid to pardon us from our sins—Christ’s death on the cross and total victory over death by his astounding Resurrection. Instead, they long for and pursue their Fountain of Youth.

I repeat: Who would seriously want to live forever on this earth in its current uncertain, volatile, sin-saturated condition? A condition that is getting worse, not better. Fortunes can be lost in the blink of an eye. Families can be torn apart in a flash of unbridled passion. Cities and nations can fall with the breath of a nuclear blast or a burst of intercontinental missiles. Terrorism, war, murder, and brutality of all sorts erupt daily. In a moment of distrust, pride, anger, or frustration, we wrong others and are wronged by them. With one more heartbeat, our life can suddenly end.

An article in Psychology Today, entitled: America’s Obsession with Never Growing Old is one of many written on the subject; the title says it all. Americans, Europeans, people all over the world spend billions on rejuvenation health products … liquids, ointments, supplements, and cleansing treatments for the body (inside and out) of all kinds. What if all this money was given to alleviate poverty and hunger?

Who needs a Fountain of Youth to perpetuate life on this earth, when there’s something so much better. Something not found in “magic potions,” sparkling mountain brooks, soothing hot springs, subterranean reservoirs, crystal-clear lakes, or deep pure wells.

We’re talking about a Fountain of Life-giving, eternal-destiny altering living water that changes our heart, transforms our soul and spirit, and one day will even transfigure our bodies to live with God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As opposed to eternal death to which vain pursuit of a Fountain of Youth will lead.

The Greek word for eternal is the same in such passages as Matthew 24:41 (eternal punishment) and John 3:16 (eternal life).

Thus, it’s a matter of WHERE and WITH WHOM we will spend eternity.

Which is why eternal existence WITH God is called everlasting life. Where? In heaven and on a new earth.

And why eternal existence without God and the host of heaven is called eternal death … the Second Death. Eternal death doesn’t mean annihilation—the cessation of existence. It means eternal separation from the Lord. Where? In the Lake of Fire—whatever and however horrible that will be. (See Revelation 20).

So great a salvation (from eternal death) is freely given through the Living Waters of who Messiah Jesus is and what he has done. It’s available to God’s chosen people the Jews, also to Gentiles. The first mention of such a living fountain is when Jesus graciously spoke with the Samaritan woman (part Jew, part Gentile … whom Jews despised and vice versa) at the well.

“…Jesus said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

“…She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’

“Jesus replied, ‘If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’

‘But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket … and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?’

“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.’

‘Please sir … give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water’” (John 4:7-15).

A short time later, the Samaritan woman would realize that she would still need to draw water from the well, but only to quench her physical thirst. Her eternal thirst for spiritual cleansing through thirst-quenching salvation leading to eternal life would forever be satisfied. Reading on:

“Jesus replied, ‘Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’

“The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’

“Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM the Messiah!’” (John 4:21-26).

Obviously, the Samaritan woman didn’t at first realize that Jesus was talking about eternal life-giving spiritual water, which is infinitely more lasting than physical water, as important as the elements (H2O) are to sustain life. Which is why she referred to ropes, buckets, and the physical well dug by Jacob long ago. No different than all the ropes and buckets we use to draw what we think is the satisfying source of life’s necessities and pleasures from man-made religions and philosophies. And/or by indulgent pursuit of material gratifications—systems and sources of all kinds that can never quench the innate thirst and hunger in our hearts. Things that will imprison us in and poison us with polluted waters of self-righteousness and stagnant self-reliance that make us totally independent of God, who alone can cleanse and free us from the stain and penalty of sin.

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent’” (I Corinthians 1:18-19).

Manna from Heaven

We’ve all read or seen or heard factual and fictional accounts of people dying from hunger and thirst. Books and movies are full of (mostly near-death) these episodes. Except for the excruciating death on a cross (the word excruciating comes from cross), experienced by our Lord and Savior (shortened because of the savage whipping he received by the Romans before being nailed to the cross), I can’t imagine a more horrific death than from thirst or starvation.

We pamper ourselves with food and drink as much or more than any other need or want. For many that’s pretty much what life is all about. We wouldn’t dream of withholding either from our daily existence, nor would we tolerate for a minute someone else who would deprive us of either.

Naturally, food and water are essentials of life. Without them, we die. Which is why Jesus also (in addition to living waters) utilized the analogy of food to illustrate the supreme need for spiritual sustenance. Without which, we also die … eternally.

The day after Jesus miraculously fed five thousand men (along with woman and children which would have doubled or tripled the number), many in that crowd hopped in their boats to look for Jesus on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had earlier slipped away from the crowd without his disciples. Later that night Jesus walked on water toward his disciples who were frantically trying to cross the lake during a fierce storm. Two mighty miracles in less than 24 hours!

Let’s pick it up with a question from the crowd when they found Jesus.

“…Rabbi, when did you get here?”

*Note: It was a reasonable question followed by (as we shall soon see) an unreasonable demand. It’s like, Okay, what’s with this … your disciples got here in a boat and we also got here in boats. But you didn’t take a boat!

The walking on water miracle was between Jesus and his disciples, so he didn’t answer the crowd’s question. Jesus often did this; a response that got to the heart of the matter, exceedingly more perceptive and profound than answering the question at hand. And almost always, it was a matter of directing people’s attention to the miracle of who Jesus is (God Incarnate … Messiah Savior), not just the miracles he performed.

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.’

“They replied, ‘We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?’

“Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you. Believe in the one he has sent.’

(*Note: Jesus’s answer constitutes the universal fundamental difference between the Christian faith and ALL man-made religions, cults, and philosophical systems).

“They answered, ‘Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! … Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:25-31).

*Time out!

Seriously? They insisted on a “miraculous sign” a day after they and thousands of others had been stuffed with all the fish and bread they could eat (including leftovers) with only five small loaves of bread and two fish at the Lord’s disposal. The smallest of restaurants would become multi-million-dollar corporations with that kind of food and its preparation! Come to think of it: Farmers and fishermen wouldn’t do so well!

What if Jesus had looked up to heaven (Mark 6 … another gospel account of the feeding of the five thousand) in response to their demand? Only this time, instead of blessing the food (thereby multiplying it exponentially), he brought down huge lightning bolts that struck the ground. And before that he told them to stand still; if they moved they would be struck by lightning. Of course, some panicked and moved. (“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me!” Psalm 81:8).

Or what if he had thrown his staff to the ground like Aaron did before Pharaoh? Only this time, the staff broke into hundreds of pieces, and each piece became a poisonous snake!

As the saying goes: Be careful what you wish for…. Better yet: What more proof to you need?

Wouldn’t a miracle of love and compassion that fed so many with so little food (to begin with) be as equally convincing and so much better than a miraculous sign that might terrify them. Like God speaking in a thunderous voice from Mt. Sinai, prompting the people’s panicked plea for Moses to (please) make God stop it.

Continuing in the text, it’s clear that Jesus ignored their demand for a miraculous sign. Knowing full well the problem was not with their eyes, but with their heart.

“Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said, ‘give us that bread every day.’ (*Note—sound like the woman at the well regarding water?).

“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:32-35).

He then said, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day” (Verse 40).

For those who have never seen Jesus in the flesh, yet believe in him, Jesus said to Thomas (and all the disciples in that poignant scene when Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead):

“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29).

Scripture also tells us there’s a way to see him without seeing him.

To see is to believe, and to believe is to see. Right? Of course, right!

Birth and Rebirth

In addition to water and food, Jesus also used the illustration of birth to explain that life is more than just time on this earth. Life is eternal; where and with whom we spend that eternity depends entirely on another birth. A second birth that Jesus said was from above, of the Holy Spirit.

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Then, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So, don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:6-7).

In that same amazing scene with the Jewish religious leader Nicodemus, Jesus went on to say how we are born again and the result thereof:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

A new birth which gives us a potent position (inheritance) in the family of God. One that assures the precious privilege of everlasting life with our Awesome Creator in the Kingdom of God.

During the wilderness temptation attack against Jesus—who as the Son of Man was extremely hungry and thirsty—Satan said, “…If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.

“But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3-4, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3).

God’s Word(s) is found in the Bible, which also tells us about His Son, the Messiah—the Living Word (John 1:1).

Not the Koran, not the Book of Mormon, not Jehovah Witness pamphlets, not Roman Catholic catechism, or any so-called sacred writings of other religions. They all say that people must earn God’s favor. Instead, the Bible presents God’s Grace imparted through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son … doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Making us right with God! Because we have no righteousness of our own.

“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6).

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are … We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with underserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:20-25).

Sadly, so many remain spiritually hungry and thirsty, a hunger and thirst that will result in spiritual death throughout eternity. All the while accumulating anything and everything they think will bring them happiness and satisfaction, by drinking deeply from a fountain of youth.

They will be born only once, but tragically will die twice.

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26).

*It doesn’t get any worse than that.

Thanks be to God. Those who accept Jesus as personal Savior will be born twice but die only once. Isn’t birth so much better than death?

“…And because of his (Messiah-Jesus) experience (death and resurrection for our life-giving forgiveness), my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (Isaiah 53:11, parenthesis mine).

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, italics for emphasis).

*It doesn’t get any better than that!

Things to Ponder

Today’s article is posted on March 31st, 2018. Tomorrow, millions upon millions will celebrate Resurrection Day.

Just before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die (the Second Death). Do you believe this, Martha?” (John 11:25-26).

Do you believe Jesus? Do you believe IN Jesus?

The tomb where Jesus was buried is EMPTY.

Said the angels to the women who came to the tomb taking all the spices they had prepared: “…Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” (Luke 24:5-6).

Just what kind of miracle do we need to believe? Or how many spectacular signs? Does resurrection from the dead qualify?! Not just a resurrection in which the person must die again while on earth, as did Lazarus and a handful of others as recorded in Scripture. Rather, an ad-infinitum resurrection in an imperishable body that will live forever. Christ was the first. Those who believe in him will follow:

“…For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died (believers in Christ) will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed … into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’

“For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:52-57, parenthesis mine).

Why keep searching for fountains that will never satisfy. Enticing, but deceptive fountains that contaminate our body, soul, and spirit. Fountains that poison us with alluring pleasures, prestige, power, and possessions. Soon dried up temporary fountains that blind us to eternity.

Instead, believe the Lord: “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!” (Isaiah 12:3).

“…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

Fountain of Youth & Fountain of Life. Same or different?

As for me, I will continue to drink from the Fountain of Living Waters.